Chapter 2: The Yellow Cave

Orion had gone farther than he had ever gone in the Dark Forest. With their twisted limbs reaching out like skeletal fingers, the ancient and grotesque trees twisted aloft. The forest's wet freshness gave way to something denser, unbreathed, unaltered, as the air grew thicker. Even the wind dared not trespass here.

Then he saw it.

A cave.

Not an ordinary one. Not some forgotten crevice carved by time.

It was yellow.

Neither the dull gold of sun-bleached rock nor the deep amber of fall foliage, but a vibrant, flawless yellow. The hue seeped over the jagged stones, dripped from above like liquid wax, and covered the ground in soft, golden moss. The walls glimmered subtly, as if light had been ensnared and intertwined within the stone.

Orion paused, observing the cave’s eerie charm.

"What secret are you concealing?" he whispered.

Carefully, he entered the room.

The further he ventured, the more the world transformed. This location didn't resemble Ebonvale. The walls, coated with an otherworldly gloss, appeared nearly alive, their golden tint changing as if reacting to his presence. The earth, covered in unusual moss, cushioned under his boots.

And the vegetation—they shifted.

They spiraled and bent toward him, their see-through petals extending like fingers seeking warmth. Some trembled as if responding to his breath, while others flinched when his shadow moved over them. One bloomed gradually, opening petal by petal, disclosing a vibrant, shimmering core.

Orion squinted.

This place was alive.

A lesser man might have turned back. Might have sensed the unnatural and taken it as a warning.

But Orion was not lesser.

His fingers brushed the golden wall as he extended his hand. Beneath his fingertips, there was a gentle, warm, rhythmic vibration that sounded like a heartbeat.

His smirk deepened. "You are no mere cave."

Then—movement.

A rustling sound, barely audible over the silence. His eyes darted up, all his muscles tensed. Something flashed into his field of vision.

Orion tensed. Not something. Someone.

A tiny figure—a rabbit—came out of the golden mist before he could respond. The collar around its neck caught Orion's attention, but its white fur almost blended in with the cave's unearthly radiance. Around its narrow throat was a belt of silver, shiny and polished. Orion grinned again. "What is an attractive little thing like you doing in a place like this?" The rabbit's big violet eyes watched him with a twitch of its ear, unafraid and intelligent.

Orion crouched, extending a hand. The rabbit did not flinch, did not bolt. It simply watched.

"He whispered, his fingers grazing the cool collar metal, "Someone owns you." Noting the absence of markings, he traced the smooth surface. "But who?"

No answer. Of course not. It was only a rabbit.

His grip tightened slightly as he lifted the small creature effortlessly. "You will be mine once you have no master left. In a location like this, a rabbit like you wouldn't survive long."

Then—a voice.

"Put it down."

Orion straightened immediately, turning toward the source.

A girl stood at the edge of one of the passageways deeper within the cave, her form bathed in the golden glow.

Orion’s silver eyes locked onto hers.

She was… strange.

Everything about her was streaked in gold, including her skin, hair, and clothing. As though she had been moulded from the cave's walls, she fit right in. Clinging to her arms, golden paint curled over her high cheekbones and poured across her face like melted wax. Her long, unrestrained hair, which was twisted together with yellow strands, fell down her back. He briefly entertained the notion that she might not be human.

Perhaps a spirit. A demon.

But no.

She breathed. She bled.

And he could tell she was as real as the dagger she was holding by the way she held it in her hand, ready to strike—. Intrigued, Orion cocked his head slightly. "Who are you?" His tone was steady and quiet. She gripped the dagger more tightly. "Who are you, and why are you in my woods?" A lazy, sarcastic smile curved his lips. "Your forest?" He chuckled, eyes gleaming. "The Dark Forest belongs to Ebonvale. That makes it mine."

She didn’t flinch.

Didn’t react.

Her violet eyes, which matched the rabbit's, remained fixed and unblinking. With the bunny still in hand, Orion stepped forward. "You live here." It was not a question. He could see it now—the way she belonged to this place, the way the golden paint on her skin seemed almost natural.

She participated in it. "How do you get here?"

Silence.

Then—she moved.

Like a flash of golden light, she lunged at him, dagger gleaming.

Orion sidestepped effortlessly, his instincts razor-sharp. The blade missed him by a breath. She twisted, relentless, her next strike aimed for his throat.

She was fast.

Faster than expected.

She knew what she was doing, and she wasn't just battling crazily. Her next blow was intercepted by Orion, who slightly twisted her wrist to throw her off balance. She stumbled but got back up fast, changing her position and getting ready for another assault.

He smirked. Interesting.

She attacked again, but this time—he moved first.

With an unwavering hold, Orion grabbed her wrist in the middle of the blow. He was stronger than her, even as she strained to pry herself free. She dropped the dagger as his grip tightened just enough. It hit the mossy floor with a clatter. She growled. A voice too untamed and wild for a typical girl. Orion outpaced her as she swung a clawed fist at his face. Before she could hit again, he deftly sidestepped and grabbed her other wrist. Enough. He hit the side of her head with one quick, accurate stroke, not hard enough to cause actual damage, but enough to stun her.

She stumbled.

Her body collapsed forward.

Before she could touch the ground, Orion grabbed her. He stood there, holding her, for a long time. Her breath came in quiet, gentle exhalations, and her golden-streaked skin felt warm under his fingertips. Now that he was closer, he could see how peculiar she was. She appeared as though she had been birthed from the cave's walls because of the paint that was stuck to her flesh. She wasn't a ghost, though.

Wasn’t a spirit.

She was something else.

Orion took a big breath, his silver eyes shining. "Fate brought me here," he said in a voice that was almost audible above a whisper."And fate does not make mistakes."

His grip on her tightened.

She was his now.

His face lit up with amusement as he looked down at the unconscious female. "What are you?"

The cave did not answer.

But he had a feeling he would find out soon enough.